August 14, 2019
The following are press releases from the Toronto International Film Festival:
Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, announced that three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will be honored with the TIFF Tribute Actor Award, Sponsored by RBC at this year’s new TIFF Tribute Gala awards event. Taking place on Monday, September 9 at Fairmont Royal York, during the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the Gala is an annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s year-round programmes and core mission to transform the way people see the world through film, and to celebrate the film industry’s outstanding contributors.
With an extensive film, television, and stage career spanning over 40 years, Streep has won three Academy Awards — for her roles in ”Kramer vs. Kramer,” ”Sophie’s Choice,” and ”The Iron Lady” — and, in 2018, she set an unsurpassed record with her 21st Oscar nomination for her role in “The Post.” She has been nominated for 31 Golden Globes, winning eight times, and in 2017 she was the recipient of the Cecil B. deMille Award. Streep currently stars in the Emmy Award–winning series ”Big Little Lies” and will star with Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming film ”The Laundromat,” which will have its North American Premiere at TIFF this September.
“Meryl Streep is undoubtedly one of the most talented and versatile actors of her generation,” said Vicente. “Her tremendous contribution to cinema, television, and the stage spans five decades; from her early roles in ‘The Deer Hunter,’ ’Kramer vs. Kramer,’ and ’Sophie’s Choice’ to later films including ’The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘The Iron Lady,’ and ’The Post,’ she has portrayed characters that are as compelling as they are timeless. TIFF could not be more thrilled to honor such a skilled and exemplary artist.”
Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, announced that three-time Academy Award–nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix will be honored with one of two TIFF Tribute Actor Awards at this year’s TIFF Tribute Gala awards event. Taking place on Monday, September 9 at Fairmont Royal York, during the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the Gala is an annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s year-round programmes and core mission to transform the way people see the world through film, and to celebrate the film industry’s outstanding contributors.
With a wide-ranging career spanning over 35 years, Phoenix has starred in such films as “The Master,” “Inherent Vice,” “Walk the Line,” ”Gladiator,” “To Die For,” and “Her.” He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his roles as Commodus in ”Gladiator,” Freddie Quell in ”The Master” and Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line,” for which he won a Golden Globe. This fall, Phoenix portrays the title character in Todd Phillips’ ”Joker,” a standalone origin story that will have its North American Premiere at TIFF.
“Displaying both raw instinct and consummate technical skill, Joaquin Phoenix is the complete actor, and one of the finest in contemporary cinema,” said Bailey. “Over three decades, he has brought a piercing truth to each groundbreaking role. TIFF is thrilled to be celebrating an artist of his caliber with this inaugural award. We can’t wait for Festival audiences to experience his electric turn in Joker.”
“We’re thrilled that the extraordinarily talented Joaquin Phoenix will be honored at the TIFF Tribute Gala this September,” said Vicente. “His outstanding contribution to cinema acts as a testament to TIFF’s core mission to transform the way people see the world through film.”
Director Todd Phillips’ “Joker” centers on the iconic arch-nemesis and is an original, fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society.
Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, announced that Academy Award–nominated New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi will be honored with the TIFF Ebert Director Award at this year’s new TIFF Tribute Gala awards event. The award recognizes and honors a distinguished filmmaker for their outstanding contribution to cinema. Taking place on Monday, September 9 at Fairmont Royal York, during the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the Gala is an annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s year-round programmes and core mission to transform the way people see the world through film, and to celebrate the film industry’s outstanding contributors.
“Taika Waititi is one of the most innovative, bold, and exciting filmmakers working in the industry right now,” said Vicente. “TIFF is thrilled to honor his extraordinary talent with the inaugural TIFF Ebert Director Award.”
“Taika Waititi is the rock star cinema needs right now,” said Bailey. “His films are full of razor-sharp humor, faultless style, and boundless generosity. Somehow he manages to stuff both indie hits and massive crowd-pleasers with big, radical ideas. We’re thrilled to be premiering his latest, “Jojo Rabbit,” at the Festival and to hand over the inaugural TIFF Tribute Award for direction to this 21st-century master.”
Waititi directed the superhero film ”Thor: Ragnarok,” which made over $850 million at the box office worldwide, and will write and direct the upcoming ”Thor: Love and Thunder.” His films as writer-director also include ”Boy” and ”Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” and he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in ”What We Do in the Shadows” with Jemaine Clement. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his short ”Two Cars, One Night.” Waititi’s upcoming anti-hate satire “Jojo Rabbit,” starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Waititi himself, will have its world premiere at TIFF and will be released by Fox Searchlight on October 18, 2019.
The TIFF Ebert Director Award is an evolution of the organization’s former Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award, which celebrated a remarkable filmmaker who reflected renowned film critic Roger Ebert’s passion for cinema. Past recipients include Claire Denis, Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Agnès Varda, and Wim Wenders.
Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, announced that Academy Award-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins will be honored with the Variety Artisan Award at this year’s TIFF Tribute Gala awards event. The award recognizes a distinguished filmmaker who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema. Taking place on Monday, September 9, at the Fairmont Royal York, during the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the Gala is an annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s year-round programmes and core mission to transform the way people see the world through film, and to celebrate the film industry’s outstanding contributors. Variety is proud to be the exclusive trade media partner on the event.
Deakins won an Academy Award for Blade Runner 2049, and was nominated for an additional 13 Oscars for his work on films including ”The Shawshank Redemption”; “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”; “No Country for Old Men”; “Skyfall” and ”Sicario.” His illustrious career, spanning more than 40 years, also includes four ASC Award wins for Outstanding Cinematography, four BAFTA Awards, and collaborations with directors such as the Coen brothers, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Angelina Jolie, Sam Mendes and Denis Villeneuve, making him one of the most sought-after cinematographers in the industry. Deakins’ latest work will be featured in the upcoming film ”The Goldfinch.” Directed by John Crowley and starring Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright and Nicole Kidman, ”The Goldfinch” will have its World Premiere at TIFF and will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 13, 2019.
“For nearly half a century, the name Roger Deakins has exemplified both breathtaking cinematic beauty and fearless cinematic risk-taking,” said Steven Gaydos, EVP of Content at Variety. “From his early-career work on music docs and small British features through his decades of stellar work for the world’s greatest filmmakers, Deakins has carved out a unique place in the history of cinematography. Capable of exquisite painterly flourishes as well as groundbreaking technological advances in the cinematographic arts, his Oscar win for ‘Blade Runner 2049’ capped a run of nominations that included everything from blockbusters like ’Skyfall’ to Best Picture winners like ’No Country for Old Men.’This year, with both ’The Goldfinch’ and ’1917′ on the horizon, Deakins continues to dazzle and inspire as he pushes the boundaries of his craft and helps make masterpieces with equally fearless auteurs.”
TIFF previously announced that Participant Media will receive the TIFF Impact Award, accepted by Founder and Chairman Jeff Skoll and CEO David Linde. The recipient of the inaugural Mary Pickford Award supported by MGM, honoring a female emerging talent in the industry in celebration of United Artists’ 100th anniversary, will be announced in the coming days.*
*August 20, 2019 UPDATE: Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, today announced director Mati Diop as the inaugural recipient of the Mary Pickford Award supported by MGM, to be presented at the TIFF Tribute Gala on Monday, September 9. The award, named in honor of Toronto native Mary Pickford, recognizes an emerging female talent who is making groundbreaking strides in the industry. Pickford was the pioneering actor, producer, and Co-Founder of United Artists, and the award is being launched in conjunction with United Artists’ centennial this year. The creation of the award follows TIFF’s continued commitment to championing women and diverse voices in front of and behind the camera.
The 44th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15, 2019.
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About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net. About Variety Variety has been the seminal voice of the entertainment industry for 114 years and counting. Featuring award-winning breaking-news reporting, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights, and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players, Variety is the trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, Variety’s multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print and branded content, events, and summits. Follow Variety on Facebook at facebook.com/variety, Twitter @variety, and Instagram @Variety. The Variety Group — Variety, Variety.com, Variety Insight, and Indiewire — is owned by Variety Media, LLC, a division of Penske Media Corporation.